Varsity Sports

Favorite topics

2008-2009 Season - 2006 Men's Golf Review

Senior Joey Childers named MVP for Vikings in 2006; Childers, Derric Eisold and Andrew Benton all finish in top 10 in CCIW tournament

Senior Joey Childers (Elgin St. Edward’s HS, Elgin, Ill.) led the Augustana Vikings men’s golf team in scoring during the 2006 season so it comes as no surprise that he was named the squad’s Most Valuable Player. Childers, a four year letterwinner and a member of the top five during his entire career, saw action in 17 rounds during the 2006 campaign. He averaged 76.2 with 1,295 strokes during those 17 rounds with a low score of 70 that he put up on the second day of the Augustana Invitational.

Childers recorded five top 10 finishes during the course of the season, including a sixth place finish at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin tournament on April 28-29 at the Pontiac Elks Club in Pontiac, Illinois. Battling rain and cold throughout the entire two day event, Childers scored back to back rounds of 77 for a final total of 154. He was fourth at the Augustana Invitational on April 7-8 when he shot 145 (75 70) and fourth in the Prairie Fire Invitational on March 24-25 with a 149 (77 72). He added a ninth at the Big Blue Classic on April 14-15 with a 147 (75 72) and he placed second in a dual meet with Knox back on September 26, 2005 with a 72.

The Vikings finished the season with an overall record of 169-55 against NCAA Division III schools in invitationals. They were ranked 50th among the 214 schools in division three that play men’s golf, according to Golfstat.com, the official statistical compiler of the NCAA. Augustana had a third place finish in the Fall Big Blue Classic on September 29-30 and was fourth in the Red Poling Classic (09/16/05), Prairie Fire Classic (03/24-25/06), Augsutana Invitational (04/7-8/06) and the CCIW tournament.

At the CCIW tournament the Vikings shot a 622 (307 315), behind Carthage’s 608 (299 309) and the 618’s of Millikin (312 306) and Illinois Wesleyan (305 313). Childers was joined at sixth place by teammates freshman Derric Eisold (Sheboygan North HS, Sheboygan, Wis.) and sophomore Andrew Benton (Vernon Hills HS, Vernon Hills, Ill.). Eisold had rounds of 77 and 77 while Benton went 73 and 81. All three of those players earned all-conference honors for their top 10 finishes.

Eisold was close behind Childers for the lowest average on the team as he had a mark of 76.9 with 1,308 strokes for 17 rounds. He had five top 10 finishes including a first place at the Fall Big Blue Classic on September 29-30 with a score of 143 (73 70) and a third at the Duhawk Spring Invitational on April 1 in Dubuque when he shot a 72. Benton averaged 80.7 for the year with 1,291 strokes in 16 rounds and two top 10 finishes.

Junior Stuart Steenhoek (Pella HS, Pella, Iowa) had the third best average on the team at 78.9 with 1,342 strokes in 17 rounds. Steenhoek had four top ten finishes with a best of second at the Augustana Invitational when he recorded a two day total of 144 (73 71). Benton was named the Most Improved Golfer on the team while Eisold was the Newcomer of the Year.